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DID I INFECT MY BEER??

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HoundboundCo

Active Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2023
Messages
34
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Location
Texas
While cooling my wort, I reached pitching temp around 51F. When taking moving some tubing around, I accidentally dropped an unsanitized large hand clamp used for holding hoses on the edge of the kettle into the cool wort and was unable to retrieve. I quickly transferred the wort to the fermenter and proceeded like normal. Only time will tell, but how likely is an infection to come from this?
 
I don't worry about the odd's. I just know that there is a risk. My recommendation is figure out what you need to do to mitigate that from happening on future batches.

RDWHAHB or store bought, until this current batch is finished, bottle/kegged and ready for your glass. Then decide.
 
I feel if you pitch the yeast and the wort starts to ferment fast, as in a couple hours you should be good. Those yeast cells out number any possible bacteria. You should be good. Keep us posted during the fermentation process.
my .02 cents
 
I feel if you pitch the yeast and the wort starts to ferment fast, as in a couple hours you should be good. Those yeast cells out number any possible bacteria. You should be good. Keep us posted during the fermentation process.
my .02 cents
I thought the same thing. WLP820 doesn’t really ferment fast thought haha. Either way I love/ hate situations like this. One because I will be more cautious next time, and two because I find it fascinating to see the final outcome and if I survived the risk haha. I will keep yall updated!
 
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose...

Once I dropped my only thermometer into the wort while chilling it down to pitch temperature. All attempts to fish this slippery glass cylinder out of the wort with sanitized tools failed. So I dipped my whole forearm into 70% alcohol, and then fished the thermometer out of the wort. Went well (and bought two additional thermometers immediately).

Another time I got an infection, and nothing remarkable happened, I could remember. There are bacteria around all the time.
A local professional brewer told me once, sometimes you just have bad luck, although you did everything right.
 

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